DSCC reserves $2.3M in air time to help Berkley in Nevada

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has reserved $2.3 million in air time for the fall to help Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), a sign of its continued commitment to Berkley and the race despite her recent troubles.

On Monday, the House Ethics Committee announced it would investigate allegations that she violated House rules by using her position in Congress to benefit her husband’s medical practice. The DSCC quickly issued a statement in support of her, and the buy seems designed to put the committee's money where its mouth is — although ad reservations can be canceled or changed at any point.

"Nevada is a blue-leaning state where the President is likely to do well and where Republicans like Dean Heller have a very hard time appealing to the growing number of Hispanic voters," DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil said in a statement. "Dean Heller is particularly vulnerable, having said he was proud to vote twice to end Medicare and calling for Nevada to implement an Arizona-style immigration law. Shelley Berkley is a proven fighter for Nevadans and we are ready to win this race."

The committee has long been involved in the race — their first ad buy of the cycle was a Spanish-language ad attacking Heller — and is unlikely to walk away from what has until now been a coin-flip race in the polls. But their need to prove they're standing by Berkley shows how potentially damaging the investigation could be to her campaign.

The Hill currently rates this race a "toss-up."